Shank-stiffener for shoes



M. CANGEN. SHANK STIFFENER FOR SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.28, I919- Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

l/Vl/E/VTUR 777cm? ccmgen WITNESSES UNITED STATES MARK CANGEN, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SHANK-STIFFENER FOR SHOES.

Application filed January 28, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I MARK CANGEN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and tate of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shank-Stiffeners for Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

Thi invention relates to an arch support which is especially suitable for high-heeled shoes, the object of the invention being to equip the inner sole with a steel spring stiffener shank before it is arranged in the shoe.

Another object of the invention is to give the inner sole, better known in the trade as a shank piece, with the shank embedded there in its proper shape before it is secured in the shoe.

The invention is designed to include a split insole for receiving the shank pro vided with skived edges so that when in place in the curved convexed outer sole it will conform itself transversely to the concavity.

The invention resides in the novel combinations hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which 2- Figure 1 represents a sectional side elevation of a shoe embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken along the line 2-2 of the same.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the inner sole.

In the drawing is shown a shoe having the usual outer sole 5 and the insole 6 secured by gluing or otherwise. The invention is preferably applied to a high arched turn shoe mostly worn by women. In shoes of this kind the arch of the lower sole in addition to being curved longitudinally is also a curved transversely to give it a graceful shape.

The method of preparing the inner sole consists in skiving the bottom so as to form a convex surface to snugly fit the concaved top of the outer sole. When fitted in the shoe the top surface of the inner sole is perfectly straight transversely to conform to the shape of the foot as indicatel in Fig. 2. The insole is then split to form a flap or cover 7 and between the split sections is arranged a steel shank 8 of resilient metal. This shank is fastened at one of its ends by means of a rivet 9 passing through the free Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

Serial No. 273,550.

end of the flap and into the body of the insole. The other end of the shank slides in the forward part of the leather of the insole so that it can compensate for the tensioning of the hank. The same results can be obtained by splitting the insole entirely in two divisions, placing the shank therebetween, and then gluing or sewing the two sections together.

The method described above eliminates the operation of shaping the shank and insole after it has been placed in the shoe. At present if a manufacturer wants to put a steel shank into the shoe he employs a riser to get the proper curvature for the shank. The present invention facilitates the method by preparing the insole in advance and giving the necessary longitudinal curvature to the shank while curving the insole. The insole with its shank can thus be shaped by a manufacturer to suit the arch of any shoe by the single process of bending the sole.

It will be readily understood, that the inner sole extends from the heel to the ball of the foot, and the forward portion being tapered to the edge it will form a smooth surface with the outer sole. The split inner sole permits the use of a practically wide shank member so that approximately the entire transverse portion of the arch will be stiffened or braced.

I claim 1. The method of preparing shank stiffeners for shoes which consists in skiving the inner-sole to convex its under surface, then partly splitting the sole longitudinally from the forward end to the heel, and then arranging a resilient shank between the split portions.

2. The method of preparing shank stiffeners for shoes which consists in skiving the inner-sole to convex its surface, then partly splitting the sole longitudinally from the forward end to the heel, then arranging a resilient shank between the split portions, and then curving the insole to a suitable shape.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARK CANGEN.

W'itnesses KATHARINE S. KEANE, WILLIAM MILLER. 

